Best 3 Joan Nathan Challah Recipes
In the realm of Jewish cuisine, challah stands as a beacon of tradition and artistry. This soft, egg-rich bread, often braided and sprinkled with poppy or sesame seeds, holds a place of honor on the Shabbat table and during Jewish holidays. Its golden crust and fluffy interior make it a delightful accompaniment to any meal. But challah is not just a bread; it's a symbol of unity, community, and the enduring spirit of Jewish culture.
In this article, we present a collection of challah recipes that capture the essence of this iconic bread while offering unique variations to suit diverse tastes and preferences. From the classic egg challah, with its rich, golden hue, to the honey challah, infused with the sweetness of honey, these recipes provide a culinary journey that explores the depths of Jewish baking traditions.
Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, these recipes offer clear instructions and helpful tips to guide you through the process of creating your own challah masterpiece. As you knead and braid the dough, breathe life into these recipes and let the aroma of freshly baked challah fill your home. It's not just about the taste; it's about connecting with your heritage and creating memories that will last a lifetime.
MY FAVORITE CHALLAH
Provided by Joan Nathan
Categories project, side dish
Time 1m
Yield 2 challahs
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.
- Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading.)
- Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.
- To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with what is now the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.
- Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour in refrigerator if preferred.
- To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. (If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.) Then dip your index finger in the egg wash, then into poppy or sesame seeds and then onto a mound of bread. Continue until bread is decorated with seeds.
- Bake in middle of oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden. Cool loaves on a rack.
MANFRED LOEB'S CHALLAH ( JOAN NATHAN)
From the Joan Nathan Book " Jewish Cooking in America". I made this using the Kitchen Aid.
Provided by petlover
Categories Yeast Breads
Time 2h15m
Yield 2 challahs
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Dissolve yeast in warm water with a big pinch of sugar.
- Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the dissolved yeast and stir with a spoon. Add the remaining sugar, salt, eggs, and vegetable shortening. Beat about 1 minute and then mix by hand. When the dough begins to leave the side of the bowl, turn it onto a lightly floured surface to knead and Knead for about 15 minutes until soft, adding more water or flour as necessary.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning the dough over so that the entire surface is lightly greased. Cover with a cloth. Let rise in a warm place for an hour or more , until the dough is doubled . Punch down. Divide into 2 balls.
- Preheat Oven to 375°F.
- Divide each ball into three pieces. Roll each piece into a (appox 12") strand and braid, then tuck in ends. ( he gives a six strand braiding method that is really confusing so I use the 3 strand method).
- Place braid onto either cornmeal sprinkled or parchment paper lined ( I use parchment paper) sheet. Use 3rd egg ( beaten with a bit of water) and brush ( using a pastry brush) the Challah. If using sesame or poppy seeds, sprinkle over at this time. Cover with a plastic sheet ( spray with Pam first) and let rise 30 minutes.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1555.3, Fat 34, SaturatedFat 9.5, Cholesterol 186, Sodium 2411, Carbohydrate 266.8, Fiber 10.3, Sugar 26, Protein 41.4
JOAN NATHAN'S RUGELACH (CINNAMON, CHOCOLATE, OR APRICOT)
This is a straightforward and reliable cookie/pastry recipe from "Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook" by Joan Nathan. The original recipe doesn't call for any salt, but I think it enhances the flavour. You can play around with the fillings, substituting raspberry preserves for the apricot, pecans for the walnuts, or adding a little orange zest, raisins, or currants to the cinnamon-sugar filling. The dough can also be used to make hamentashen. Dough needs 2 hours refrigeration time.
Provided by blucoat
Categories Dessert
Time 55m
Yield 64 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- To make the dough, place the cream cheese and the butter in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Cream at a low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and salt and mix until a very soft dough is formed, about 2 more minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with baking parchment (or a Silpat baking mat).
- Mix the ingredients for the apricot or chocolate filling and divide the dough into 4 balls. On a lightly floured surface roll the balls out into 4 circles about 1/8-inch thick and 9 inches in diameter. Spread the apricot or chocolate filling over the dough. If using the cinnamon-sugar filling, brush the melted butter on first, then sprinkle the combined cinnamon and sugar.
- Using a dull knife, cut each circle into 16 pie-shaped pieces about 2 inches wide at the circumference. Roll up from the wide side to the center. Place the rugelach on the lined cookie sheets. Bake in the oven on the middle and lower racks, switching after 12 minutes, also switching back to front. Continue baking about 13 more minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the rugelach to racks to cool.
- Sprinkle the apricot and chocolate rugelach with confectioners' sugar just before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 73.1, Fat 5, SaturatedFat 2.7, Cholesterol 11.5, Sodium 13, Carbohydrate 6.5, Fiber 0.2, Sugar 1.9, Protein 0.9
Tips:
- Use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients for the most accurate results.
- Make sure your water is warm, but not hot, before adding the yeast. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and your challah won't rise.
- Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. This will help develop the gluten in the flour and give your challah a chewy texture.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. This will give the yeast time to work and produce carbon dioxide gas, which will cause the dough to rise.
- Braid the dough into your desired shape. There are many different ways to braid challah, so choose one that you like.
- Bake the challah in a preheated oven until it is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the challah while it's baking so that it doesn't overcook.
Conclusion:
Joan Nathan's challah recipe is a delicious and easy-to-follow recipe that is perfect for any occasion. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create a beautiful and tasty challah that your family and friends will love. So next time you're looking for a special bread to serve, give Joan Nathan's challah recipe a try!
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